Olympian, WNBA Great Tamika Catchings Returning To Area For CCS Luncheon
January 28, 2020 at 2:01 a.m.
Olympian, WNBA Great Tamika Catchings Returning To Area For CCS Luncheon
By David [email protected]
Tamika Catchings last spoke in Winona Lake on Feb. 14, 2018, at Grace College’s chapel.
In explaining the purpose of the luncheon, CCS Director of Development Alyssa Lowe said, “So, for Combined Community Services, it was important for us to report to the people who support us, what we’ve been doing the past year, but also to give people an opportunity to jump on board and support us financially for the year.”
The Feb. 19 event, sponsored by Parkview Warsaw, is at Christ’s Covenant Church in Winona Lake. VIP tables are $500 and receive early entry to the luncheon at 11:15 a.m., a photo with Catchings and a copy of Catchings’ book, “Catch a Star: Shining through Adversity to Become a Champion.” General tables are $300 and doors open at 11:30 a.m. VIP individual tickets are $50, and general tickets are $25. Lunch will be provided by Karen’s Homestyle To Go.
Registration can be done online at ccsgives.com/love.
Lowe said Catchings will bring a message of overcoming adversity and “that’s the kind of people who we are helping, is people who are overcoming adversity. So (we want) to give attendees an understanding of that and to hopefully want to jump on board with us.”
CCS Executive Director Randy Polston had a prior connection to Catchings. Several years ago, when Polston worked at the Career Center at Grace College, they were looking for a couple of speakers for their Career Week.
“We got talking about who we could connect with out there, and I was actually working with an agent that, actually, helped me bring Tamika in, she helped me bring Willie Robertson in, as well as Tim Tebow. When we zeroed in on Tamika – I’m a basketball nut myself – so I knew where she played college, I knew some of her story, but I didn’t really know the meat of the story,” Polston said.
He worked with the agent to bring Catchings to Grace for Career Week.
“All I can say is, ‘Wow!’ This gal, she exemplifies exactly what Combined Community Services is all about: loving others and impacting in any way we can the lives of others. When Tamika came up to Winona Lake, her personality was just overflowing with love. She’s a believer, and the testimony she shared at Grace about her years of growing and the adversity she ran into – being hearing impaired, troubles she faced – she talks a lot about her parents molding her, the relationship in Christ that her parents really exemplified as she grew up, and her own relationship with Christ,” Polston said.
According to a provided biography of Catchings, she completed 16 seasons in the WNBA, stepping away from her future-hall-of-fame-career following the 2016 season. She was the very first recipient of the ESPN Humanitarian Award in 2015, and her Catch The Stars Foundation has been in operation for 14 years.
Since her playing retirement, Catchings serves as general manager for the Indiana Fever. She operates the Tea’s Me Café on the north side of downtown Indianapolis, and continues her service as an ambassador with the NBA and WNBA. She serves on a developmental committee with USA Basketball. She also serves as an SEC ESPN Women’s Basketball Analyst.
In March 2016, Catchings released her story, “Catch A Star: Shining through Adversity to Become a Champion,” which chronicles her story of overcoming hearing loss, separation from family, high expectations and the pain of debilitating physical injuries.
Catchings retired as the WNBA’s No. 2 scorer (7,380 points) and rebounder (3,316) of all-time, already its career leader in free throws (2,004) and steals (1,074). In postseason play, nobody appeared in as many WNBA Playoff games (68) as Catchings, or started as many (67), the information provided states. She retired as the WNBA postseason leader in points (1,141), rebounds (598), free throws (356), steals (152), double-doubles (27) and minutes played (2,310).
The Indiana Fever reached the playoffs 13 times in Catchings’ 15 active seasons, including a WNBA-record run of 12-in-a-row from 2005-16. The Fever reached the conference finals eight times, including five straight seasons. The Fever won a WNBA championship in 2012 and came within one game of two more championships in five-game WNBA Finals appearances in 2009 and 2015. Catchings played in every playoff game in Fever history through the time of her retirement.
When Polston joined CCS in September, immediately there was discussion about scheduling a first luncheon. He said he immediately thought of Catchings and when he suggested it to Lowe, she was excited at the prospect. The arrangements were then set.
“We’re just so excited to bring her back to our area and to share her again with all of those who would like to attend,” Polston said. “Yes, bottom line is we want to continue finding ways to raise money for Combined Community Services to help us meet our needs so we can continue to impact the lives of others, and Tamika is going to do that.”
Seating is going fast, he said. Lenny Krebs, coach for the Warsaw Lady Tigers basketball team, has sponsored a table to bring some of the girls basketball team. Same thing with Dan Davis and Dr. Bill Katip, of Grace College, who are sponsoring tables to bring some of the Lady Lancers over to hear Catchings speak.
Lowe said they’re halfway at capacity for VIP tables.
Polston said Dr. Michael Lyons is the Parkview doctor he worked with to connect to Parkview and get their sponsorship for the event. “They jumped at it. They really wanted to do this for the community, so kudos to Dr. Lyons,” Polston said.
Christ’s Covenant Church will provide its greeting team for the Feb. 19 event.
Tom Roy will be the masters of ceremony for the event. He was drafted for pitching by the San Francisco Giants out of high school and has been helping out as an assistant coach with the Grace Lancers baseball team. Roy retired after 28 years with Unlimited Potential Inc., and has written two books.
Polston said the luncheon is the “first of many to come.”
“I’m just so excited to bring her back here to Winona Lake and Warsaw again. She was excited that we invited her and excited for others in our community to hear her story,” he said.
Lowe said anyone unable to attend the Feb. 19 luncheon but still wants to support CCS can give online at ccsgives.com/donate/.
Tamika Catchings last spoke in Winona Lake on Feb. 14, 2018, at Grace College’s chapel.
In explaining the purpose of the luncheon, CCS Director of Development Alyssa Lowe said, “So, for Combined Community Services, it was important for us to report to the people who support us, what we’ve been doing the past year, but also to give people an opportunity to jump on board and support us financially for the year.”
The Feb. 19 event, sponsored by Parkview Warsaw, is at Christ’s Covenant Church in Winona Lake. VIP tables are $500 and receive early entry to the luncheon at 11:15 a.m., a photo with Catchings and a copy of Catchings’ book, “Catch a Star: Shining through Adversity to Become a Champion.” General tables are $300 and doors open at 11:30 a.m. VIP individual tickets are $50, and general tickets are $25. Lunch will be provided by Karen’s Homestyle To Go.
Registration can be done online at ccsgives.com/love.
Lowe said Catchings will bring a message of overcoming adversity and “that’s the kind of people who we are helping, is people who are overcoming adversity. So (we want) to give attendees an understanding of that and to hopefully want to jump on board with us.”
CCS Executive Director Randy Polston had a prior connection to Catchings. Several years ago, when Polston worked at the Career Center at Grace College, they were looking for a couple of speakers for their Career Week.
“We got talking about who we could connect with out there, and I was actually working with an agent that, actually, helped me bring Tamika in, she helped me bring Willie Robertson in, as well as Tim Tebow. When we zeroed in on Tamika – I’m a basketball nut myself – so I knew where she played college, I knew some of her story, but I didn’t really know the meat of the story,” Polston said.
He worked with the agent to bring Catchings to Grace for Career Week.
“All I can say is, ‘Wow!’ This gal, she exemplifies exactly what Combined Community Services is all about: loving others and impacting in any way we can the lives of others. When Tamika came up to Winona Lake, her personality was just overflowing with love. She’s a believer, and the testimony she shared at Grace about her years of growing and the adversity she ran into – being hearing impaired, troubles she faced – she talks a lot about her parents molding her, the relationship in Christ that her parents really exemplified as she grew up, and her own relationship with Christ,” Polston said.
According to a provided biography of Catchings, she completed 16 seasons in the WNBA, stepping away from her future-hall-of-fame-career following the 2016 season. She was the very first recipient of the ESPN Humanitarian Award in 2015, and her Catch The Stars Foundation has been in operation for 14 years.
Since her playing retirement, Catchings serves as general manager for the Indiana Fever. She operates the Tea’s Me Café on the north side of downtown Indianapolis, and continues her service as an ambassador with the NBA and WNBA. She serves on a developmental committee with USA Basketball. She also serves as an SEC ESPN Women’s Basketball Analyst.
In March 2016, Catchings released her story, “Catch A Star: Shining through Adversity to Become a Champion,” which chronicles her story of overcoming hearing loss, separation from family, high expectations and the pain of debilitating physical injuries.
Catchings retired as the WNBA’s No. 2 scorer (7,380 points) and rebounder (3,316) of all-time, already its career leader in free throws (2,004) and steals (1,074). In postseason play, nobody appeared in as many WNBA Playoff games (68) as Catchings, or started as many (67), the information provided states. She retired as the WNBA postseason leader in points (1,141), rebounds (598), free throws (356), steals (152), double-doubles (27) and minutes played (2,310).
The Indiana Fever reached the playoffs 13 times in Catchings’ 15 active seasons, including a WNBA-record run of 12-in-a-row from 2005-16. The Fever reached the conference finals eight times, including five straight seasons. The Fever won a WNBA championship in 2012 and came within one game of two more championships in five-game WNBA Finals appearances in 2009 and 2015. Catchings played in every playoff game in Fever history through the time of her retirement.
When Polston joined CCS in September, immediately there was discussion about scheduling a first luncheon. He said he immediately thought of Catchings and when he suggested it to Lowe, she was excited at the prospect. The arrangements were then set.
“We’re just so excited to bring her back to our area and to share her again with all of those who would like to attend,” Polston said. “Yes, bottom line is we want to continue finding ways to raise money for Combined Community Services to help us meet our needs so we can continue to impact the lives of others, and Tamika is going to do that.”
Seating is going fast, he said. Lenny Krebs, coach for the Warsaw Lady Tigers basketball team, has sponsored a table to bring some of the girls basketball team. Same thing with Dan Davis and Dr. Bill Katip, of Grace College, who are sponsoring tables to bring some of the Lady Lancers over to hear Catchings speak.
Lowe said they’re halfway at capacity for VIP tables.
Polston said Dr. Michael Lyons is the Parkview doctor he worked with to connect to Parkview and get their sponsorship for the event. “They jumped at it. They really wanted to do this for the community, so kudos to Dr. Lyons,” Polston said.
Christ’s Covenant Church will provide its greeting team for the Feb. 19 event.
Tom Roy will be the masters of ceremony for the event. He was drafted for pitching by the San Francisco Giants out of high school and has been helping out as an assistant coach with the Grace Lancers baseball team. Roy retired after 28 years with Unlimited Potential Inc., and has written two books.
Polston said the luncheon is the “first of many to come.”
“I’m just so excited to bring her back here to Winona Lake and Warsaw again. She was excited that we invited her and excited for others in our community to hear her story,” he said.
Lowe said anyone unable to attend the Feb. 19 luncheon but still wants to support CCS can give online at ccsgives.com/donate/.
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